


Call Me Home

by jadedlemon



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-07-29 02:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7667296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadedlemon/pseuds/jadedlemon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two weeks is such a short time to fall in love.</p>
<p>(or, will is an entertainer at the hotel nico visits and nico is very gay)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. waiting for daylight

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time posting anything on this website and tbh i. don't know how to work it but i am doing my best  
> title is from "lover of the light" by mumford and sons!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from "bang my head" by david guetta + sia! songs don't necessarily have any plot relevance so don't take them too seriously

Nico hated the sun.

On reflection, wearing black skinny jeans to a very warm country could probably be considered bad judgement on his part. But home was considerably colder, especially when the sun hadn’t even begun to reappear, and hell if he was freezing his way through the airport just so he wouldn’t melt on the other side.

His only problem now was that he had reached the other side, and he was melting.

Stepping out of the airplane had felt like stepping into a sauna. Stepping into Hazel’s car had felt like stepping right into a burning oven. He thought he might end the drive as nothing more than a puddle in the backseat.

“Where’s the air conditioning in this thing?” He groaned.

In the passenger seat, Reyna paused mid-sentence to allow Hazel to answer. “It’s all on, Nico. Roll down the window if you want, we’re going onto the motorway.”

Nico reached over his bag, desperately hitting the button until the window all but disappeared. “That means we’re nearly there, right?”

“It means we’re ten minutes into an hour long drive,” Hazel glanced at him in the rear view mirror, her lips twitching into a smile.

“God,” Nico slumped into the seat, leaning against the door, “Hazel, I’m dying here.”

“You’re the one who wore jeans!” Hazel gestured to him wildly.

Reyna laughed, “Of course he did. Nico di Angelo doesn’t ruin his brooding aesthetic for anything.” Nico pulled a face at her, hoping she caught it in the mirror, but the heat had exhausted him too much to think of a witty response. He closed his eyes instead, feeling the wind in his hair as they sped past houses and trees, fields and flowers, towards the hotel.

The journey passed quicker when he watched the world go by, hanging a hand out of the window, and let himself think. It had been months since he last saw Hazel, though it felt like years. The chance to spend time with his sister was the only reason he had decided to come on this holiday. Despite the outrageous amount of sunshine, he hoped it would turn out to be a good time.

Still, Hazel would be working most of the time. And - especially without her to show them where and how to have fun around the island - two weeks seemed like a long time.

 

The initial shine of the hotel’s beauty hadn’t quite worn off, even after Nico and Reyna had finished checking in. Their room wasn’t big, but it was comfortable, welcoming. And they were just in time for lunch.

“I’m going to change first,” Nico called as Reyna stepped outside, basking in the sun.

“The restaurant closes in fifteen minutes,” Reyna called back. She turned and leaned against the doorframe to watch him. Nico could only just see the arch of one eyebrow over her sunglasses.

“You can go on ahead,” He shrugged, rifling through his suitcase for an alternative to his jeans, “I’ll catch up. I can’t go out in this.”

“Damn right you can’t,” Reyna smirked. She leaned in to grab a key card from the table, and then left, waving over her shoulder. “I’ll see you there, then.”

It was a short walk from their room to the restaurant, and it felt a lot better under the sun when he was wearing shorts. Not quite pleasant, but bearable. He kept an eye out for Hazel along the way – she had disappeared from reception with a hurried apology and a promise to find them later – but she hadn’t made an appearance yet.

He was surprised to find her already in the restaurant, sitting across from Reyna, on the edge of her seat as if she would stand and leave at any given moment. She had changed into what Nico really hoped was her work uniform; he might have had to reconsider his opinion of his sister if she had chosen to wear that glaringly orange t-shirt as a fashion statement. Nico took the seat beside them with a quick greeting.

Hazel bypassed the greeting altogether, instead jumping straight to, “Oh my god, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in shorts.”

“ _Hazel_ ,” Nico glared at her, “That’s because it’s never warm enough for shorts back home. Do not make this any more awkward than it already feels.”

“It’s not awkward! It’s cute,” She grinned, “Besides, it’s plenty warm back home. You just choose to suffer in the name of all-black outfits.”

“Whatever,” Nico scoffed, turning his gaze to the rows of food laid out along buffet tables, “You eating with us?”

Hazel’s face fell. “Ah, Nico, I’m sorry,” She said, “I have to work this afternoon, I was meant to be off all day but Piper has to take the aerobics and Annabeth is busy with some stuff for tonight’s show so she asked me to take the kids club. It’s coming up to peak season and I couldn’t leave Frank alone with all those children, you know…”

She was looking at him expectantly, so he shrugged and said, “Yeah, alright. No big deal.”

“I swear I’ll take you both out around the island as soon as I can,” She looked to Reyna, who smiled, and then back to Nico, who moved his lips a little. “I’m working all day tomorrow, but I have the next day off, we can do something then?”

“Sure,” Nico nodded. Hazel’s smile seemed to light up the already-too-bright room.

“Great! I can’t wait for you to meet the team. Listen, whatever you do this afternoon, make sure you’re here for the show tonight,” She said. When Nico confirmed that they would, she stood with a smile, then leaned down to plant a kiss in his hair. “See you later!”

 

The area was undeniably wonderful. Between scenic pathways and countless bars, Nico was a little surprised at the options available. There would be plenty of alternatives to spend both day and night if he found himself running out of momentum in one place.

But for tonight at least, he had promised Hazel he would be there to watch her show. It was already gone nine o’clock by the time he and Reyna arrived on the terrace, so they took a table as close to the stage as they could get at this busy hour – which wasn’t very close at all, but at least they could see.

The bright outfits had been toned down for the evening. Occasionally he caught sight of a blonde girl wearing the hotel’s logo on a pale peach shirt running around, making last minute preparations – pushing a costume rack backstage, fiddling with lights, trying to balance four cups of water at a time until a couple of barmen stepped in to assist. “Does she work here?” He asked Reyna, though it was more a conversation starter than a question.

“I assume so,” Reyna followed his gaze, watching the girl over the rim of her glass. “You don’t know any of the entertainers, then? Besides Hazel, obviously.”

Nico shook his head no. “I know Frank, but only as Hazel’s boyfriend. I don’t think I’ve ever actually held a conversation with him.”

Reyna arched an eyebrow, “Really? You’ve never spoken to your sister’s boyfriend.”

“He lives here,” He said with a shrug.

“So does Hazel, and you talk to her,” Reyna replied.

“Well, yeah, I’ve said hi to him when he’s walked into the background of a Skype call with Hazel,” Nico said, “That’s about it.”

Reyna scoffed and shook her head, “That’s very sociable, Nico. I think Hazel would appreciate if you said more than two words to her boyfriend while we’re here? Her friends, too, for that matter.”

“I will! Of course I will,” He leaned back, taking a sip of his drink as if the glass would shield him from her gaze, “I just haven’t had the chance before now.”

Whether or not Reyna had a reply in mind, they were interrupted by a break in the music and a female voice over the speakers, announcing the beginning of the night’s show. The lights dimmed, a smoke machine clouded the stage, and Nico settled into his chair to watch.

The show kicked off with a slow number, danced almost mechanically by the blonde girl from earlier and a dark-haired boy with a nice face. Both of them danced well – their chemistry on stage was more than believable – but Nico wasn’t sure where to look. He didn’t know either of them. Focusing on one would be weird, but when they were moving apart, then together, then apart again, it was impossible to watch them both at once. He settled for shifting his gaze between the two until they froze in place and the lights dimmed once more.

When he could see the stage again, he found the couple had been joined by more dancers, paused in various positions – Hazel among them. He didn’t recognise the other newcomers; a girl with choppy brown hair stood near a well-built blonde guy who, as Nico watched, quickly removed his glasses from his face and tossed them backstage in a gesture that was likely supposed to be discreet.

And then there was the boy stood behind Hazel. He was all tanned skin and golden curls, tall and lean and still half a head shorter than the other guys. His head was bowed, his eyes closed, but they opened as the music picked up and as he began to dance, Nico saw his face.

He took back his earlier thought regarding the dark-haired boy’s attractiveness. This was just unfair.

This boy moved with a certain elegance that Nico found himself unable to look away from. He wasn’t the best dancer in the group, but something about him was nothing short of captivating. From this distance, Nico thought, under the bright stage lights, he could be a god.

Then he grinned a stupid grin at Hazel as they danced face to face, and she smiled back, and Nico realised he was human, and he was real, and he should probably stop staring and close his mouth right about now.

For a while, he tried watching the other dancers. But his eyes seemed to find their way back every time. By now they were a good few songs into the show, and the boy’s curls were a mess and his face shone with sweat, and Nico still couldn’t look away. It was only when they disappeared backstage, and the girls reappeared to dance without them, that Nico realised he had hardly watched his own sister so far.

It was easier to tear his attention away from the boy once he had shaken himself out of his initial stupor. Hazel was amazing, although watching her for too long made him well up with a strange sense of pride that he didn’t want to let overflow. He saw Frank dance, too, along with one more stranger, much shorter than the other boys. But still, when the show was over and the blonde girl stepped out onto the stage to end it, Nico leaned forward a little in the hopes of catching one particular name.

Hazel was introduced first. Beside him, Reyna gave a single cheer that was lost in the crowd’s applause. Nico made sure to clap as hard as he could as his sister waved to the audience. The other girl joined her a moment later – Piper, her name was.

The sound from the microphone was muffled at times, so he didn’t quite catch everyone’s name, but he made sure to hear the one he was looking for.

Will.

Somehow, the name seemed perfect.


	2. somewhere to begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from "somewhere only we know" by keane!

Reclined on a sunbed by the pool, Nico slipped on a pair of sunglasses and watched the stairs. He had seen a couple of the entertainers pass by not five minutes ago, in all their neon orange glory; the dark-haired guy (Percy?) and the blonde guy – but not the blonde guy he was looking for.

Reyna perched on the bed beside him, passing him a drink. “You planning to sit under this umbrella all day?”

“It’s nice in the shade,” He said without really looking at her. Another orange shirt emerged – Hazel, this time. She caught his eye, waved and jogged over.

“Hey!” She called. When she reached them she sat beside Reyna, throwing an arm around her shoulders, “How are you both? Did you enjoy the show?”

“Yeah, you were great,” Reyna said. Nico turned slightly into the conversation, still keeping an eye out for more orange.

“I’m glad,” Hazel grinned, “So what are your plans for the day?”

“Nico plans to stay under this umbrella for the next six hours or so,” Reyna answered for him. Hazel laughed.

“Well you should join in some of the activities! I think Percy and Jason are on together today,” She said, leaning forward, “Honestly, I can’t wait for you to meet my team. I could introduce you to some of them after tonight’s show, if you hang around a bit.”

Nico couldn’t help but hope the introducing would involve Will. It wasn’t often he deliberately tried to talk to people, so he was not well experienced in the delicate skill of socialising, but right now he would take any excuse to meet him.

But when another three orange shirts passed him by and the team began to re-emerge for the day’s work, there was still no sign of Will.

 

Despite being ridiculously disappointed over Will’s apparent day off, he still followed through with his sister’s wishes. When Percy and Jason walked by, yelling about their next activity and waving darts at clients, he finally emerged from his umbrella.

“We start in five minutes down on the terrace,” Percy was saying to a group of people nearby. Nico followed his finger to find the dartboard, and then looked to Reyna.

“You coming?”

Reyna looked momentarily surprised at his suggestion, but then nodded, gathering her belongings. “I didn’t think you’d be so eager.”

“Yeah, well,” Nico said, “Might as well do things. It’ll pass the time, at least.”

By the time Percy and Jason returned, Nico had already pressed himself into the slim strip of shade next to the wall, decidedly ignoring the eye roll Reyna had given him for it. “Hot, isn’t it?” Percy grinned at him as he fiddled with a clipboard, flipping through pieces of paper until he found what he was looking for. As he began to take names from the small group gathered around them, Jason took to the dart board. He threw first one dart, and then another; both shots missed.

“Lost your glasses?” Nico said with a laugh. Jason cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Broke them, actually,” He answered cheerily. His third dart hit the board, and Nico applauded. Jason turned to him and bowed.

Percy came to him last. “Name?”

“Nico,” He said.

Percy’s eyebrows raised. “Hazel’s brother?” When Nico nodded, he looked even more surprised. “Wow. You two don’t look alike, like, at all.”

“We’re half siblings,” Nico told him.

Percy replied with a drawn out ‘oh’, then turned back to the waiting crowd, clicking his pen against the clipboard. “Alright! In this game, all you have to do is score higher than the person before you – looking at Jason’s score, that’s not going to be hard…”

As Jason passed by Percy to hand him the darts, he gave him a sharp kick to the shin. Percy retaliated with an elbow.

Sidling up beside him, Reyna murmured, “These two should be entertaining, at least.”

Nico found himself agreeing.

 

“So you spent most of the day with Jason and Percy, right? What do you think?”

Hazel leaned across the table towards Nico and Reyna. It was going on eleven, and she had sought them out after the evening’s entertainment as soon as she was free. Other members of the team were wandering from table to table, chatting to guests; Percy and Jason, Frank, Piper, and still no Will.

In answer to Hazel’s question, Nico pulled the most unimpressed face he could manage. Hazel met his gaze and said, “I know, right? Honestly, what are they like?” Nico cracked a smile at that, chuckling, and Hazel and Reyna both reflected his expression with a laugh of their own.

“They seem like good guys,” Nico answered finally, to which Hazel nodded.

“They are. All of them are.”

Nico wanted to ask her about Will – out of curiosity, and nothing more, only because he had caught his interest with his dancing. He wasn’t sure where this sudden desire to know more about the boy had come from. Before he could decide whether to ask or not, a pair of hands covered Hazel’s eyes.

“I take it back,” Hazel said, barely reacting, “They’re all good guys, except Leo.”

Leo removed himself from Hazel, sliding into the seat beside her with an exaggerated gasp, “You wound me, Hazel Levesque. How did you know it was me?”

“Your tiny hands gave you away,” Hazel replied.

Leo stuck his tongue out at her, reclining in the chair with an arm slung over the back. Nico noticed how deliberately he avoided looking at his hands, unwilling to give in to Hazel’s teasing, as he cast a cheesy grin around the table. “Nico and Reyna, yeah? I’m Leo, the best friend Hazel has ever had.”

Reyna quirked an eyebrow at him, looking amused at his expense, “I’m sure.”

“You coming tomorrow or not?” Hazel asked him, and Leo ran a hand through his curls with a sigh.

“Can’t,” He said, “I can’t get a day off. They’re down one person for the kids club, since you and Frank are both off, so Annabeth wants either me or Will to help Piper out. I’ll probably send Will to do it and stick to my teen club…”

“You’d be good with the kids,” Hazel chimed in, “Some of them are about your height.”

Leo frowned at her, putting on an overly serious act. “Hazel. Honestly. You’re embarrassing me in front of your guests.” He glanced up at Nico, “Back me up here.”

Nico, who had been content to sit back and watch them until now, shrugged unsympathetically. “She hasn’t said anything that isn’t the truth.”

“Harsh, man,” Leo shook his head, “Harsh.”

Hazel hadn’t replied to Leo’s complaints; she was checking her phone, and got to her feet when she noticed the time. “It’s later than I thought! I have to go, but Frank and I will take you both into town tomorrow. Meet us in reception at about ten?” She wrapped one arm around Reyna, leaned over to kiss Nico’s temple, and then she was gone.

“Yeah, I should go too,” Leo added, though he didn’t look as if he planned to stand up any time soon, “I’ll see you both around. I’m going to go let Will know I’m landing him with the kids tomorrow.”

Nico hadn’t even considered that Will would be nearby, but it made sense. The entertainment team had their own rooms within the hotel, after all. Not that it changed things at all; he had never spoken to Will, and couldn’t exactly just walk into his room unannounced as a stranger. He would bide his time, and wait for someone to present him with a chance to meet him. He had plenty of time to talk to him.

It wasn’t until Leo left that he realised tomorrow’s day out would mean one more day of not meeting him.

 

Will was a sacrifice that would have to be made for a day with his sister.

In the end, he was glad he hadn’t let it influence his decision – especially when he found out just how many PokéStops there were in town. He walked into the backs of his companions a few times more than he really should have, thanks to it.

“I take it you’re playing Pokémon Go, and not texting some boy?” Hazel fell into step beside him, pushing her sunglasses onto her head to get a better look at his phone screen.

“Of course,” He answered without looking up, “Aren’t you?”

“I’ve been around this area enough,” She said. “I’m not wasting my battery on it today.”

Frank glanced back at them, then fished his phone out of his pocket, adding, “I am.” Nico gave him an appreciative nod.

Stopping to watch them, Reyna stared at Nico for a moment before turning to Hazel. “Notice how he has chosen to wear black again.”

“Aren’t you roasting?” Hazel gaped at him. “Do you own anything other than black?”

“I haven’t been wearing black _all_ the time!” He retorted, “I wore grey yesterday.” With three pairs of eyes looking at him dubiously, Nico turned his gaze back to his phone and continued walking. “Come on, we’re in everyone’s way here.”

Hazel put a hand on his shoulder. “Nico, I am going to prevent your untimely death here by buying you clothes.”

“Really, there’s no need,” Nico murmured, but she was already dragging him in the direction of a little souvenir shop.

Inside, Hazel turned to the three of them. “Alright, this is an official mission. We’ll split up, search the store for something that would suit Nico, and regroup here. Ready?”

Nico was not about to join in her game. The clothes he had would do him nicely. They definitely were not all black – it was just a coincidence that he had chosen today to wear another black outfit. At least he wasn’t in jeans this time.

Instead, as the group separated, he wandered the store, looking at magnets, postcards, bracelets, anything that caught his eye.

And then he came to the sunglasses.

Right in the middle of the stand, a pair of bright pink sunglasses stared out at him through star-shaped lenses.

_Perfect_ , he thought. He picked them up, internally beaming, and returned to their meeting point.

“I did not find myself a shirt,” He announced as the others joined him. He held up the sunglasses, “But I did find Jason a new pair of glasses.”

“Oh, my God,” Hazel took them from his hand, “They’re perfect. Let’s buy them.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“And…” From behind her back, Hazel revealed a monstrosity – a Hawaiian shirt, flowery and orange and, frankly, hideous. “Let’s also buy this!”

“No way,” He folded his arms stubbornly across his chest, “I am not wearing it.”

“You’ll match us! We can all be orange together,” Hazel grinned. Her expression was almost frightening. She gave him no time to protest before she headed to the counter.

“ _Jesus_ ,” Nico ran a hand down his face, turning to Reyna and Frank, “Can we just clarify that I am not wearing that?”

Frank chuckled lightly. “I think if Jason has to wear the glasses, you have to wear the shirt…”

“I have orange clothes,” Reyna nodded, “We can all be orange. Admittedly, mine are a nicer orange. Not quite as… garish.”

“I hate all of you,” Nico gave them his best withering glare, but it lost its effect a little thanks to the smile he couldn’t quite keep from his lips.

 

They were back at the hotel in time for the night’s show, which Hazel and Frank joined them to watch. Nico, however, found himself unable to focus on the performance – a magician of some sorts, and nothing he hadn’t seen before – thanks to a certain golden-haired team member.

He had first noticed Will’s presence when he popped on stage during a pre-show bingo game to hand Annabeth an envelope of prize money. Since then he couldn’t seem to stop noticing him. He passed them to go to the bar, and again to return backstage with his hands full of drinks. He re-emerged after the bingo ended to clear away the table. He jogged past a couple playing table tennis, caught the escaping ball expertly with a twist of his wrist (and a smile so bright it almost seemed to bring the sun back out) and tossed it back to them with a salute. Nico’s eyes followed him every time.

Just before the show began, the small children of the hotel had gathered by the stage with their chairs for a front row seat. Will had pulled up a chair and joined them. When Nico had next glanced over at him, a little girl who couldn’t be more than three years old was stretching out her tiny arms expectantly. As Nico watched, Will had scooped her onto his lap. Now, as he looked again, he was met with the sight of Will with his arms wrapped around the child, beaming as he rested his chin atop her head and gasped with her at the magician’s tricks, surrounded by more children demanding his attention. He shuffled the girl onto one knee to make room for a young boy on his other, reaching out to ruffle the hair of a third child clinging to his seat.

“So many children,” He mumbled.

Hazel followed his gaze with a questioning hum. “Oh, Will? He’ll survive. He’s good with kids. I am not about to go help him, anyway. You can, if you want.”

“I don’t think the parents would appreciate a stranger babysitting their children,” He said, and turned his attention back to the show.

No matter how often he told himself not to look back at Will, he couldn’t resist just one more glance. Or, one more glance every few minutes.

By the time the show was over, Will had managed to rid himself of all but one child. Hazel, Reyna and Frank’s conversation was getting animated, and he didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. He would have watched Will some more, but Annabeth and Piper chose that time to join them, introducing themselves to him and Reyna.

Nico felt like he had been introduced to everyone on the island at this point – everyone but Will.

He risked another glance, and found himself having to search the area for Will. He spotted him standing by someone’s table with the little girl in his arms, laughing and chatting away with who Nico assumed must be her parents.

“Are we interrupting something, Nico?”

Piper’s question dragged his attention away from Will once again. Her sly grin made him shift uncomfortably.

“Would you rather be talking to someone _else_ right now?” She glanced less than subtly in Will’s direction, but much to his relief she kept her voice low enough for only him to hear.

“Not at all,” Nico said, “I haven’t even spoken to him yet.”

“But you are stunned by his beauty, no?”

Nico almost slapped her arm, but that felt like an inappropriate gesture for someone he had just met. “I’m just… interested, is all. He seems…” He searched for another word, but all he could come up with was, “…interesting.”

“Interesting,” Piper mused, before re-joining the conversation at the table as if the topic had never come up.

 

Nico vowed the next morning that this would be the day he finally introduced himself to Will.

He was, admittedly, embarrassed by the way his heart picked up when he saw Will pass by the pool in his bright orange t-shirt. And by the way his limbs suddenly and mysteriously felt weak when Will passed by again, waving a stick and yelling about shuffleboard.

Nico practically leapt off his sunbed, which resulted in a curious look from Reyna. Really, it was well warranted. He should not be this excited to talk to someone. He couldn’t remember the last time he had _wanted_ to meet someone.

He waited until Will had disappeared towards the hotel’s other pools before he and Reyna made their way to the terrace. He didn’t want to seem too eager, after all.

Jason was already waiting, and wrote down their names with a smile and a nod towards them as they approached. It only took a few minutes for Will to join them.

Nico had built himself up for this moment so much, he actually felt nervous. Will propped his pole up against the wall, either unaware of or unbothered by Nico’s eyes on him. Nico cursed his sweating palms and swallowed his nerves. He had to act normally. This was a normal, everyday meeting with his sister’s friend and co-worker. Nothing more – no matter how much he might have anticipated it.

Will turned, met his gaze, and quirked his lips into a lopsided smile. He waited until Jason had explained the rules of the game (which Nico only half paid attention to and hoped to pick it up as he played) before jogging over to them and greeting them with a cheery, “I don’t know you.”

Nico didn’t know how he was supposed to reply to that. He stared at him blankly for a moment, opened his mouth to speak and stumbled over his own tongue as he replied, “Uh, no, you don’t.”

“He’s Nico,” Reyna cut in, and Nico made a mental note to thank her later for saving his life, “And I’m Reyna.”

Will stuck out a hand to Reyna, who shook it. “Well, nice to meet you. My name is Will.” He held out his hand to Nico, who blinked at it. After a moment of brain-processing and internally kicking himself, he met his gaze again and accepted his handshake.

That was it. He had officially met Will. For some reason, he felt quite satisfied.

(Particularly when Will went to take his turn in the game, and Nico could watch as he stood, one hand on his hip, the other bracing the cue across his shoulders, his tongue poking out from his lips as he watched his opponent with an intense look of concentration – but he was going to push that thought to the back of his mind and forget he had ever had it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm a bit :/ with some parts of this chapter but at least i can move on to the good stuff now


	3. reminds me of the daylight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from "conquistador" by brighton!  
> EDIT 8/9/16: an extra scene has been added to the end of the chapter (bc i forgot to include it!)

“Morning! How are you all?”

Nico almost dropped his book when he heard Will’s voice in the distance. Glancing up, he spotted him across the pool, talking to a family around the sunbeds. He was almost ashamed that he hadn’t noticed him at first.

Not for the first time, he appreciated his sunglasses for their ability to hide his eyes – it meant he could follow Will’s movements unnoticed. When he waved goodbye and left, Nico picked up his book again.

“I see you, trying to be subtle,” Reyna spoke up.

He hadn’t thought anyone would notice. Panic surged in his chest – he swallowed it down with some difficulty. He had no reason to be afraid anymore. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He said.

Reyna’s good-natured laugh eased his anxiety. “You put your book down just so you could check out Will.”

“I wasn’t checking him out,” He protested, “I was just watching.”

“Who’s checking who out?”

For a moment Nico assumed that karma was after him today, and that it must be Will, but the voice wasn’t his. He looked up to find Frank had wandered up behind them.

“Nobody’s checking anyone out,” Nico said. He waited for Reyna to say something, praying she wouldn’t blab to Frank, and was pleasantly surprised when she simply smiled and stayed silent.

“Alright,” Frank shrugged, shuffling his way awkwardly in between their sunbeds to perch on the very edge of Nico’s. “I just came to ask if you two wanted to join us for archery later. I’m actually on with the adults for once, so it’ll be me and Will today. You don’t have to, obviously, I just thought it would be nice to have a chance to do something with you guys.”

Reyna met Nico’s gaze with a knowing smile. “That sounds good to me,” She said, “And I’m sure Nico would love to join, too. Am I right?”

The idea of spending another day with Will had certainly caught Nico’s interest. The chance to get to know Frank better was an added bonus. “Sure,” He replied, “We don’t have any other plans.”

“Great! I’ll see you there, I should go set up.” Frank stood, waving over his shoulder as he left.

Nico turned to Reyna when he was out of earshot. “I was expecting you to tell him about Will.”

“Honestly, Nico, is that what you think of me?” She asked mildly, taking a sip of her drink, “I’m not going to out you to anyone. I’ll just tease you about your obvious crush on my own.”

“I mean… I’m pretty sure Frank knows anyway,” He said, electing to ignore her last remark, “He’s almost definitely heard Hazel and I talking about it. But I don’t know about anyone else, so… thanks, I guess.”

“Although I might have to drop some subtle hints to Will,” Reyna added.

Nico’s head snapped round. “Don’t you dare, Reyna,” He fixed her with a glare, “I’m not… He’s… I just… ugh, it’s not like that. He’s probably straight anyway.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow. “If you say so, Nico.”

 

Will passed them by a few minutes later, a bow hooked over one shoulder. Nico found himself thinking he looked… cool, for lack of a better word. Like a golden Robin Hood.

“Archery, guys?” He paused in front of them, waving an arrow.

Feeling Reyna’s eyes on him, Nico quickly looked down, away from Will. “Uh, yeah, Frank already convinced us earlier.”

“Alright! See you there!”

With his gaze focused probably too intently on his book, Nico saw him walk away from the corner of his eye.

He waited a moment, skimming over words without taking any of them in, before putting the book away. Reyna was already standing, her camera swinging from one hand.

“Ready to go?” She watched him, her gaze steady and almost unnerving. Nico deliberately took his time in gathering his belongings. He refused to give in to her – but he was also finding it quite difficult to look at her.

The archery range was quiet when they got there, with only Frank trying to pin a stubborn corner of the target to the board. He glanced up with an awkward grin when he saw them approach.

“Need a hand?” Nico offered, but it was Reyna who stepped forward to smooth out the target while Frank secured it.

“Never mind. At least you tried.” A voice behind him made him whip round in surprise. Will beamed at him as he brushed past to set the bow and quiver on a table.

Nico took a moment to process some form of reply, “Yeah. Well. It’s no big deal.”

Will took a glance at Reyna and Frank, then looked back to Nico. “You can be my personal assistant instead. You’re Nico, yeah?” He picked up his clipboard and began scribbling names into a wonky, hand-drawn scoreboard.

More people had begun to drift towards them, and Nico wasn’t sure if he was thankful or disappointed when Will moved away from him. He watched as he picked up the bow and fitted it with an arrow.

“Alright, for those of you who haven’t done this before,” He took up a position in line with the target, explaining as he moved, “Stand sideways, turn towards the target; hold the bow here, two fingers on the string – don’t touch the arrow; bend your elbow, because we’ve lost the arm guards, and if this catches your skin, no matter how tough you think you are, you will probably cry; pull the string back to your cheek, close one eye, aim, and…”

He released the arrow, and it embedded itself in the bullseye. Nico raised an eyebrow as people around him oohed and applauded.

“Oh, my god,” Will lowered the bow, looking as surprised as everyone else.

“I take it you hit the bullseye every shot,” Nico said.

Will turned to him, wiggling his eyebrows, “Of course. This happens every time. Which is why I won’t be playing, because I would win by so much, and I don’t want to make you all feel bad.”

Beside him, Frank snorted. Nico watched Will trying to fight back a grin. “I’m sure. Why don’t you give another demonstration, so we can all learn how to be as good as you?”

Will tapped his nose, “A magician never tells his secrets.” He handed the bow to Frank, who was checking the clipboard.

“Alright, Nico, you’re up first,” Frank held out the bow to him.

He couldn’t even see where his first arrow had landed.

He heard Reyna chuckle, and Frank applaud. “Great shot,” He said as he picked up the second arrow.

“Where’d it go?” Nico asked.

“Through the fence, I think. We’ll send Will to get it later. We can use him as a moving target.”

When the second arrow was fitted, Nico pulled back the string again, trying to focus more on his aim. He was interrupted by Will’s voice. “Wait, wait, wait – lower.” Nico moved the bow down, but Will spoke again, “No, no, you’re moving the whole thing, you just need to tilt it. Like…”

Suddenly he could feel Will behind him, stepping so far into his space he could hear him breathing. Nico tensed at the close contact.

“Alright, move it this way…” Will murmured in his ear. He placed his hand on top of Nico’s, turning him slightly with a hand on his hip before guiding his aim. Will’s touch felt warmer than the midday sun, leaving burning handprints over his skin. He had to pause to catch his breath.

“I thought you didn’t give away your secrets,” He said, in more of a whisper than he had intended.

He couldn’t see his face, but he could picture his grin. “This isn’t my secret. This is just me stopping you from losing any more of our arrows.” Will’s finger brushed his cheek as he drew back the string. Nico’s arms shook more than they had last time, but Will’s grip kept the bow steady enough.

Golden hair tickled his neck. A warm breath blew over his shoulder, and Nico could only barely make out the word “go” mingled with it. A camera shutter clicked as the arrow flew. The others murmured around them. Nico didn’t hear them.

Will straightened, but didn’t move.

Nico stepped away.

Will’s gaze caught his and held it. “See? That’s better.”

He hadn’t even looked at the target. He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to look away from Will.

God, he _really_ had to look away from Will.

He turned to the target, and it felt like he had given in.

“Try it yourself now,” Will reached out to touch his shoulder, and Nico dodged his hand.

“It’s fine. I’ve got it.” He said. It came out too sharply.

His second arrow – the one Will had shot with him – had landed him 40 points. This one earned 20.

“Well, you’re getting there,” Frank said as he took the bow from him. Nico returned to Reyna’s side, eyeing her camera. When Frank called on her, she pressed the camera into Nico’s hands and stepped up to take her turn.

“I took some pictures of you,” She said as she walked away, and something in her voice and her smile made his gut churn. He turned on the camera and scrolled by a couple of photos of himself with the bow, until he reached one in particular – one with Will.

He considered deleting it. Instead, he turned the camera off.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?” Someone said softly, and he glanced around to see Will had moved to stand beside him.

Nico wanted to say yes, but he found that what he didn’t want was to make Will feel bad. “I mean…” He began, “You can’t just wrap yourself around people and expect them all to be okay with it.”

“Sorry,” Will ducked his head, “I’m a pretty affectionate person. I forget that some people don’t like to be touched.”

Nico gave him a level look, “Honestly, I didn’t mind it as much as I thought I would. This time.”

A grin tugged at Will’s lips. “If I make you uncomfortable in the future, feel free to slap me for it.”

“I wouldn’t even hesitate.”

He heard Will laugh as he turned his gaze back to Reyna, who was hitting the board with ease. One of her arrows landed in yellow; Will whistled, eyes widening.

“I thought you were an expert?” Nico asked.

“Oh, yeah, of course,” He nodded, “I just like to encourage the amateurs.” When Nico rolled his eyes, Will placed a hand over his heart, “Okay, you got me. That bullseye has literally never happened before.”

“I know,” He replied, “Your cheesy grin kind of gave you away.”

Said cheesy grin reappeared on Will’s face, and Nico had to struggle against mirroring it.

 

Sitting down to lunch later, Reyna flicked through her camera roll. Nico peered over her shoulder until she tilted the screen towards him, just as she stopped on the picture of him and Will.

“Did you see that one? It’s a nice picture,” She said.

Nico frowned at her, “Get it deleted.”

“Why? It’s cute,” She moved on to the next picture, but didn’t change the subject, “I think he likes you.”

“Don’t be silly,” He grumbled, “He was just helping me. It’s his job. I wasn’t the only one he did it with.”

It was true – not five minutes after Reyna finished her shot, Will was in the same position with a girl who was struggling to pull with enough power, and later with a middle-aged man holding the bow upside-down.

Nico tried not to be too disappointed.

“Alright, I see your point. But you saw him with them – think about what he looked like there. And then…” She pressed at her camera’s buttons until she was back to the picture, “Look at this, and tell me he’s not acting differently with you than the other guests.”

Nico decided to humour her. He leaned forward to inspect the photograph. If he really looked, he could see what she was talking about. With him, Will stood closer than he remembered seeing, looked more at ease, and his eyes, rather than focusing on the arrow, seemed to have landed on Nico’s collarbone.

He quickly extinguished the spark of hope in his chest.

“I told him off for invasion of personal space,” He passed the camera back to Reyna, “He probably just didn’t want to make anyone else uncomfortable.”

“Whatever you say,” Reyna said, picking at her meal.

Nico stood up, “I’m done here. I’m going back to the room for a bit.”

“I’ll get you at the sunbeds later, then,” Reyna nodded. Before she let him go, she asked, “Am I deleting the picture, or..?”

He considered it, and then turned to leave. “…Keep it.”

 

In all honesty, Nico had never been one to appreciate the entertainment at hotels until now.

He certainly had never seen one of their ‘mini discos’ until now.

He heard Hazel before he saw her; she was calling through a microphone about ‘mini disco time’ over upbeat, childish music. Seeing his sister run across the stage dressed as a clown had not been what he expected of the evening. Piper followed her out, in a similarly bizarre outfit, as she jumped down from the stage and was surrounded by a crowd of children.

Nico wasn’t sure whether he wanted to laugh or cringe. Hazel caught his eye and handed Piper the microphone, jogging over to their table. “What’s got you looking so mortified?”

“I just…” Nico gestured to her bright patchwork costume, “Do you do this every night?”

“Well, it’s on every night. We take it in turns,” She grinned, “Come on, Nico, it’s a bit of fun. I’m not even going to make you join in.” A song was starting up, so Hazel ruffled his hair and hurried to return to the dancefloor.

As he watched them, he realised the implications of what she had said. The team took turns doing this, which meant at some point over the course of two weeks, he was likely to see every member dancing to kids songs in a clown costume at least once – including Will. He had to hold back a laugh at just the thought of it. It was a mystery to him how none of them seemed embarrassed by this, but it was part of their job; he supposed it seemed stranger to him because he knew Hazel personally.

Nico took a sip of his drink, and almost spat it back out. It was hard to take anything seriously with his sister trumpeting along to ‘The Music Man’ beside him, leading a trail of children around the dancefloor like the Pied Piper.

When he glanced around the terrace, his gaze landed on a familiar face at the bar. He had found himself looking for an excuse to talk to Will again more than once throughout the day – waiting in line for drinks seemed like the perfect chance.

“Do you want anything from the bar?” He asked Reyna, who gave him a funny look.

“You still have an entire glass of coke.”

Nico eyed up his drink. He could drink it before he went, but he would have to be quick, or Will would be served and gone.

He picked up the glass and downed it in one. “Not anymore.”

Reyna turned her gaze to the bar, and her face filled with understanding. “You’ve got it bad, Nico.”

“I don’t have anything bad,” He mumbled, his stomach lurching as he stood up.

“Except gas, after drinking all that in one,” He heard Reyna say as he left, and then, “Get me an orange.”

Will was leaning against the bar when he got there. The only other person in the queue had just been served, so Nico moved to stand beside him. He definitely regretted his decision to down the cola; he was beginning to feel quite queasy.

“Hey,” Will beamed at him, and Nico almost regretted his choices a little less.

“Hey,” He nodded, just as his stomach gave a loud gurgle. He was pretty sure he could feel his face paling.

“You alright?”

He nodded again. “I made a questionable choice and downed an entire, very gaseous drink in one,” He said, “I think if I ate a mint right now I would probably explode. Now I need alcohol to offset the damage.”

Will pursed his lips, “I don’t think alcohol is going to help you there.”

“It might help me make better decisions.”

Will laughed at that. The barman had set two jugs of water down in front of him, which he picked up, but he made no move to leave yet. “Well, if you really do want to get outrageously drunk, we’re all going out after the show tonight – the whole team, plus any guests who want to join us.”

Nico ordered his drinks, then turned his body towards Will, “I don’t think so. I could probably sleep for the rest of the week now.”

“Alright,” Will shrugged, “Well, if you change your mind, we’ll be at the nearest bar. We’re there most nights, so you can join us whenever you want. Try not to down any more drinks in one, unless it’s something healthy. Especially not the alcohol!”

“Sure thing, doctor,” Nico agreed.

Will nudged him lightly with an elbow as he turned to go. “Take care,” He called back to him, and Nico couldn’t tell if it was sarcasm or genuine concern. His stomach would settle down soon; really, he didn’t have to be concerned. Maybe he should have accepted Will’s offer.

Maybe next time, he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS such a long time coming im sorry :o actually i was on holiday myself for a week (which i hope has given me some fresh inspiration) and uni starts in a couple weeks time (im just a baby fresher i need lots of time to mentally prepare myself) but hopefully i'll be able to get chapters out faster now?? i'm definitely not going to give up on this altogether so no matter how long it takes me an update will come eventually...  
> all archery knowledge is based on my own experience joining archery at hotels so if its not accurate u can take it up w the guys in the entertainment teams


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